Development of the child's mind and skills are being done through the educational process which starts at home and which is perpetuated in school and elsewhere in life.

STIMULATION

Much of what the dedicated parent can do for his child has got to do with stimulation. According to the Oxford Dictionary, to activate means to apply stimulus to animate, spur on and excite to (more vivid) action. A parent who stimulates his child intentally always does it in a positive way. And he does it with this end result in mind: for his child to use his potential optimally, and to become an achiever.

By actively stimulating his child, the parent not only spurs him on to do more, but he will also spur him on to do things in a better way – thus attending to quantity and quality. This draws our attention to our point of departure where we want to enable the child to work harder and smarter.

One of the most valuable contributions a parent can make towards his child's success programming, is to stimulate him during his early childhood. The earlier he starts with this stimulation, the greater the difference it will make during the child's later life. Stimulation can be done in the areas of cognitive development, hand-eye co-ordination, writing, reading, maths, and more specialized skills such as sports skills, music skills and art skills.

One of the laws of nature is: Output equivalents input. If this is true of educating your child, which it certainly is, then it means that the more stimulation a parent can provide, the faster his child will develop. The child's development will be more assured if this stimulation takes the form of a well-planned program.

A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT

Any mental and skills development of the child is always based on a sound emotional basis and a sense of security. Love and affection are the building blocks of a sound emotional development. This, ultimately, leads to the child feeling safe and secure and forms a firm basis for his education and development.

The educational process is based on certain norms and values. Ultimately, the norms and values ​​that you apply in the education of your child will determine the nature of his education. It will reflect the parents' beliefs and also the child's beliefs. If it is your philosophy, as parent, that you must always improve, then you will also consistently apply this principle to your child's education. If it is your content that you must use your talents and potential, as well as your opportunities, to the full, then you will also apply this principle with regard to your child.

It is accepted that you believe that you are destined for better things in life. Therefore, you must have ideas, goals and objectives. You must have an ardent desire to achieve certain goals and objectives in life. This also applies to your child.

You must create a favorable climate for your child to think and dream about the future, to form ideals and, ever, goals and objectives. Furthermore, you must assist him in achieving his goals and objectives. In order to do so, you must facilitate the development of your child's potential and help to create opportunities for him. If you have committed yourself to do so, and if you accept the fact that you have specific responsibilities in this regard, then you, as parent, will do your utmost to help him to achieve his goals.

As parent, you will put to your child's disposal all the available ways and means for him to achieve, and to become successful. But it is of vital importance that you should teach him that the most important source of power is God. You must teach him that this power is available to him as a believer, and that he needs to pray and to have faith.

Norman Vincent Peale, the well-known American evangelist and author, said the two strongest powers that exist are fear and faith and that faith is the stronger of the two. Parents can do well only if they help their children to understand and believe this too.

Through what sources can a child's mind be developed to prepare him for a successful life? The most important sources are:

* home (education)

* school (intellectual development)

* church (spiritual guidance)

* good friends, good literature, a stimulating environment and

similar sources

Position your child to make contact with the right people, at the right places, and to have access to the right sources where he will get positive guidance.

Against this background, a parent must urge his child to strive towards a better life – a successful life. The highest motives for doing so are:

* gratitude towards his Creator

* service to his fellow human beings

* self-realization (to prove to himself that he can become an achiever)

There are also other strong motivational incentives:

* better quality of life

* status

* acknowledgment and rewards

* material prosperity

Unselfish motives complly with the highest norms. One must be prepared to give more than you expect to receive (Acts 20:35). One must also realize that you can only be rich if you also enrich the lives of other people. Motives such as these will lead to the development of a positive attitude and will pave the way to clear goals and challenges. By applying the highest norms and values ​​in your child's education, you will create an environment that will help to cultivate a full and successful life for your child.

No parent educates, leads, trains or programs his child with the intention that the child must one day be an average achiever. No, you want something better for your child than being average. A well-known saying is that to be average is to be the best of the worst and the worst of the best. Most parents, although they are attributable to admit it, want their children to accomplish more than they did themselves. They want to compensate for their own lack of accomplishment, or at least for their received lack of accomplishment. But the question is: Can they make a meaningful difference in their children's levels of achievement?

Yes, the good news is that a parent can effectively help his child to become an achiever. A child with a below-average potential can become an above-average achiever. A child with average potential can become a top achiever. Potential is not static. It can be developed and improved. And a positive environment will make an important contribution in this regard.

The bad news is that it requires commitment, hard work, consistency and sacrifices to conduct an effective program with your child. And every parent who desires the best for his child, will have to decide whether he is prepared to make this kind of commitment. The younger the child, the more effective the program and the better the long-term results will be. There are certain requirements for achievement and they should be addressed in the program that the parent is going to apply. The sooner, the better. The starting point is to create a positive climate and environment that will stimulate a positive state of mind for your child.